Two of the teens have their hoods pulled up to a certain degree, while a third young man is saluting.

"Upon conclusion of the investigation, actions were taken by the district consistent with its policies," said Phillipsburg School District Superintendent George Chando, who wouldn't say what those "actions" were, noted LehighValleyLive.com.

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Paulsboro School Superintendent Walter Quint learned of the picture on Tuesday and spoke with Chando.

"He was disappointed, upset, embarrassed," Quint recalled. "Hopefully, he's going to find some young men just made a bad decision."

"Any time something happens like this, it hurts the whole program," added Quint. "Kids, teachers, coaches, fans. What took place in that picture is not what takes place in the gymnasium."

However, some comments on social media sites have defended the students because the practice dummies only come in dark colors, but that doesn't explain the rope and noose.

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"[Racism] manifests itself a little differently than it may have 30 years ago," said Charles Boddy, of the Warren/Sussex County branch of the NAACP. "It mutates, but it's still a cancer."